Ferenc Puskás vs Nemanja Vidić: Stats Compared
Forward, Hungary (born 1927, retired 1966) · Centre-Back, Serbia (born 1981, retired 2016)
Ferenc Puskás and Nemanja Vidić represent two answers to the same question: how do you define a great? Goals are the coldest, hardest metric in football, and both players stockedpile them. The raw numbers read 598 goals in 621 outings for Ferenc Puskás (0.96/game), versus 29 in 518 for Nemanja Vidić (0.06/game). Reliable assist tallies simply do not exist for large stretches of their careers, leaving creativity to the eye rather than the spreadsheet. Trophy counts give Ferenc Puskás 10 and Nemanja Vidić 8, with 3× European Cup (1959, 1960, 1966) and 5× Premier League (2007–2013) the standout honours respectively. Their finishing mirrored their personalities: Ferenc Puskás predatory, Nemanja Vidić elegant. Context beyond the headline totals is important: Ferenc Puskás's landmark level arrived around 1960 with a career spanning Budapest Honvéd, Real Madrid; Nemanja Vidić's came around 2009 across Red Star Belgrade, Spartak Moscow, Manchester United, Inter. Rank them how you like — both names are carved into the sport's permanent record.
162 words · comparison angle: goalscoring
Player profiles
Hungarian legend of the Magical Magyats and a Real Madrid galáctico; scorer of 84 goals in 85 games for Hungary.
“A barrel-chested left-footed finisher whose deadly striking powered Hungary's Golden Team.”
Nemanja Vidić is a Serbian former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. Widely considered as one of the greatest defenders of all time, Vidić is best known for his time at Manchester United, where he won 15 trophies and served as club captain. He is one of only five players to win the Premier League Player of the Season award twice, alongside Thierry Henry, Kevin De Bruyne, Cristiano Ronaldo and Mohamed Salah.
“A fearless centre-back who dominated the air and treated every duel as a personal contest.”
Head-to-head stats
Career goals by season
Representative career seasons — goals per season for each player across their documented clubs.
Attribute radar
Attribute ratings are peak-era, 0–100. Different positions naturally skew the profile.
Attribute comparison
Trophy breakdown
- 3× European Cup (1959, 1960, 1966)
- 5× La Liga
- 1× Olympic Gold Medal (1952)
- 1× Central European Cup (1953)
- 5× Premier League (2007–2013)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1943 Budapest Honvéd debut
- 1952 Olympic champion with Hungary
- 1953 Scored twice in the 6-3 win over England at Wembley
- 1956 Fled the Hungarian Revolution
- 1958 Joined Real Madrid
- 1960 Scored four goals in the European Cup final
- 1966 Retired from playing
- 2001 Established himself at Red Star Belgrade
- 2005 Reached his defining peak
- 2009 Delivered a landmark season
- 2016 Retired from professional football
The verdict
Weighing production against honours, Ferenc Puskás takes the verdict — a decisive margin, driven by a sharper goalscoring record.
Ferenc Puskás edges it (a decisive margin)
